Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, Shreyas Iyer Axed As Graeme Swann Names India's X Factor For World Cup Final
Graeme Swann picked his key player for India in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final against Australia. The two sides will lock horns at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, November 19. While the Aussies will be looking to extend their title count by winning a sixth ODI World Cup title, the Men in Blue will hope to reign supreme by becoming just the second team to lift the trophy at least three times.
The top performers for the Indian team in this World Cup have been Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and Mohammed Shami. However, Graeme Swann took Ravindra Jadeja’s name as India’s X-factor player in the finals against Australia.
Graeme Swann Picks Ravindra Jadeja As India’s X-Factor In The Finals
During a discussion on CNN News 18, Graeme Swann was asked to pick the player with the X-factor for India in the World Cup final, to which he replied, “I am always going to look for the X-factor player, the rockstar, and that has to be (Ravindra) Jadeja. He has had a fairly quiet backend to this World Cup, mostly because the batting order hasn’t really given him anything to do.”
Graeme Swann cited Ravindra Jadeja’s wonders in the IPL 2023 final to highlight that the all-rounder always rises on big occasions. He elaborated, “I always look for big-time players, players when the pressure is on in the heat of the battle, times when even the world’s best fail, Jadeja absolutely lives for those occasions. Just look at the IPL last year, wins the whole IPL off the last two balls, a six and a four.”
Chennai Super Kings required 10 runs off the final two deliveries in the finals of the IPL 2023 against the defending champions Gujarat Titans. Ravindra Jadeja hit a six followed by a four off Mohit Sharma’s bowling to win the title for MS Dhoni and company. It was Chennai Super Kings’ fifth IPL title making them the joint-most successful team in the IPL alongside Mumbai Indians.
Ravindra Jadeja Can Build Under Pressure
Graeme Swann praised Ravindra Jadeja’s ability to build under pressure. He explained, “He is the sort of player who makes me so confident in the Indian team because even if wickets do fall, even if they do get in a chasing situation, he is calmness personified when he walks out to bat. It doesn’t look like he is bothered about anything. He can score all around and hit the winning runs.”
The former England spinner expects the Indian all-rounder to hoodwink the Aussies with his bag of tricks. He said, “Then with the ball if it’s turning especially, the Aussies do not know how to play Jadeja, they are like the English. We don’t know how to play Jadeja, neither do the Aussies. Of course, he is a spinner as well because I always look to the spinners.”
In conclusion, Graeme Swann convincingly said that Ravindra Jadeja would be the Player of The Match in the finals. India has a really good chance of winning the World Cup with their pace battery led by Bumrah and Shami and their batting led by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Players like Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are also in top form which makes this Indian team formidable.
India and Australia will be facing each other in the finals of the ODI World Cup for the second time. They clashed in the finals of the 2003 World Cup where Ricky Ponting-led Australia defeated India in a lopsided encounter.
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Graeme Swann ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 ICC ODI World Cup 2023 ICC World Cup 2023 India National Cricket Team Ravindra Jadeja